Do I need foam under rocks?

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GNarnian

Aquarium Advice Freak
Joined
Feb 6, 2012
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So I set up my 120 aquarium and it's amazing looking! :) Im now in the process of decorating. I just bought 30 lbs of lava rock, and I was wondering if I need foam under the rocks to prevent pressure on the glass? Or do I not need to worry about it?

A fast response would be great, as I am on my way to home depot

Thanks!!!!
 
GNarnian said:
So I set up my 120 aquarium and it's amazing looking! :) Im now in the process of decorating. I just bought 30 lbs of lava rock, and I was wondering if I need foam under the rocks to prevent pressure on the glass? Or do I not need to worry about it?

A fast response would be great, as I am on my way to home depot

Thanks!!!!

I don't think foam is necessary if you have a substrate like sand or gravel.
 
Most of us just use plastic grating, the kind for florescent lighting. Foam will attract and soak up stuff which will eventually cause water issues.

I've also used the undergravel filter plates if they came with the set up.
 
if you're worried about it you ca use the diffusor from a ceiling light, I think some refer to it as egg crate, but I don't think 30 lbs of rock would put to much stress on the glass
 
I have 60 lbs of rock stacked directly on the glass in my 57 gal tank. You could use egg crate as mentioned above if you want some extra insurance, but a lot of folks just put rock directly on the glass. If it is stable, you won't have issues with it.
 
Alright thanks guys! I completely forgot about egg crate. But I guess I can wait until I get the rest of the rock. :)
 
You could put large blobs of silicone on the points where the rocks touch the glass. Just let them dry completely before you put them in.
 
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